At least 175 killed, 200 injured in northwestern Iraq

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Tuesday, August 14, 2007

In northwestern Iraq today, multiple suicide bombers used trucks loaded with explosives to kill at least 175 people, and injure another 200, the Iraq military said. It all happened in the mainly Kurdish Yazidi town of Qahtaniya, an estimated 60 miles west of Mosul. Qahtaniya is Iraq's third largest city. If the death toll is accurate, the attack was one of the deadliest in Iraq in the past six months.

U.S. military helicopters are reportedly helping to evacuate the wounded. The injured are being moved to Dahuk, about 60 miles north of Qahtaniya. U.S. military sources said American troops are on the ground to offer their assistance. Also, television stations in the area are asking for blood donations.

The Bush administration called the attackers "vicious and heartless murderers," saying "We condemn these barbaric attacks on innocent civilians...Extremists continue to show to what lengths they will go to stop Iraq from becoming a stable and secure country. We will continue to work with the Iraqi government and the Iraqi Security Forces to stabilize the country."

Sources